Twice already in James’ brief epistle readers have been admonished to mind their tongues. In 1:19 the epistle writer advocated being “slow to speak,” while in 1:26 James affirmed that an unbridled tongue could lead to religious faith that was “worthless.” In this week’s epistle text James sets forth a carefully constructed, organized argument about the need for those who would call themselves members of the community of faith, to tame their tongues.

James surprisingly begins with some negative career counseling: “Not many of you should become teachers.” To be a “teacher” in the first century world inhabited by James was a verbal profession. In the Jewish tradition the teacher (“didaskales”) or “rabbi” was one learned in the Scriptures who interpreted and brought to life the written Torah …